This Autumn 2012 presentation touches on the vast potential the new Flex-6000 Radio Series will offer. Some interesting tidbits that come out in the presentation are:

- Internally the Flex-6000 series will use a form of Linux

- Many of the components of the Flex-6000 have been in Government Flex Radio products for years

- Flex Radio was an advance recipient of some of the hardware chips, in some cases a year ahead of market

- Confirmed is the first release of PowerSDR will be local network (not “remote”), which had been previsouly announced

- Protecting use from ourselves from third-party programming issues in a fully open software architecture is an issue Flex Radio is still working through

Every Q & A session something neat things come up – at this presentation the idea of other internet users “listening in” to a Flex-6000 QSO in progress over the internet was brought up. Another cool idea!

- Many of the components of the Flex-6000 have been in Government Flex Radio products for years

- [...]

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Watched the video -- You guys at Flex Systems crack me up!

My take is that the high-powered hardware (first time I saw a Cray in a PowerPoint since the 80s!) digitizes the entire spectrum and then DSP sorts it out... Not sure I need to "see" the entire spectrum... And how will my old TenTec manual tuner handle all that bandwidth coming in? I will have to get faster on the Cap and Inductor dials... And "Danger, Will Robinson!" There is still an operating system in there (Linux)!

Well , I took the dive and order a FLEX 6500 looks like it will be deliver in late JAN 13. First time in my 25 year Ham time that i have bought a radio will without playing with it first. I'm a radio Tech for the US Army and play alot with SDR's So right now I'm sleep well at night that I paid $4,318 with shipping added. I hope I don't have to eat my words later.

Are you saying that you just now placed an order? How did you order? Did someone at Flex tell you by phone that you should have your 6500 in about 6 weeks even without preorderng it months ago. That would suggest that the first preordered units should be arriving about now.

Flex has been on a busy hamfest schedule ever since the announcement of the 6000 series without ever once demonstrating a working radio, so I would not read anything into their February schedule.

Gene

Flex Radio seems to attend a lot of hamfests. So, I agree, I wouldn't let their hamfest schedule lead me to believe that shipment of the 6000 Series Radios will show up anytime soon. However, one of their guys did post a photo on their Facebook page a few days ago of some rather LARGE boxes with the Flex logo on them. Of course it could be a photo of the 3000 and 5000 radios as they are running their annual Christmas sale. The boxes for the 1500 are pretty small. So, I'd guess what they posted are the larger radios. Everyone on their Facebook page has been guessing what was in the boxes. And of course, no one is telling!I do hope they start shipping soon and people give some positive reports on the new radios.Then, I might pick up a 5000 at a good price! ( or even a 3000 if the price is right.......hey! I'm cheap!!!!)jamesWD5GWY

Flex's calendar has shown long gaps with no hamfests in the four years I've followed it.

http://www.flex-radio.com/ shows no hamfests in January and they had none showing in December. According to archive.org, in 2011 their calendar had only one February hamfest. 2010 showed none in February.

In 2013 they will have four events from February 2 thru March 8. These are scheduled a long time in advance. Doesn't mean the 6000s will be ready. Suggests that Flex thought they would be.

Flex's calendar has shown long gaps with no hamfests in the four years I've followed it.

http://www.flex-radio.com/ shows no hamfests in January and they had none showing in December. According to archive.org, in 2011 their calendar had only one February hamfest. 2010 showed none in February.

In 2013 they will have four events from February 2 thru March 8. These are scheduled a long time in advance. Doesn't mean the 6000s will be ready. Suggests that Flex thought they would be.

Flex has always had a presence at hamfests if you have been paying attention in the last eight years.

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